Nick of Time

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Fletcher/Brice/JozwiakMike Fletcher - Alto sax/Flute, Olie Brice – Bass, Tymoteusz Jozwiak - Drums “Nick of Time”, the first release by the Birmingham based improvising trio ‘Fletcher/Brice/Jozwiak’ was recorded in an afternoon at Highbury Studios in Birmingham, UK. From the opening of the first track, ‘Dedication (To Tony Levin)’ (inspired by memories of the late, great drummer), the improvisations evolve as a series of spontaneous conversations between the members of the trio. They tread the line between jazz and the avant-garde; music that is simultaneously lyrically inventive and emotionally enriching.Birmingham born Fletcher played lead alto with European Jazz Orchestra: Londoner Brice worked with Paul Dunmall and Ken Vandermark; Jozwiak moved from Poland to UK to study with Tony Levin. The three came together in 2013, immediately striking the rapport that elevates their music.

Keeping it in ‘the family’, the photography and design are by a good friend of the trio and great artist Mat Kaweczynski.

Recording details:Date and place of recording - Highbury Studios, Birmingham Name of sound engineer(s) for recording and mastering

Recorded by Rob PetersMixed by Alex BonneyMastered by Lewis at Stardelta

Reviews

04/12/2014 Rotcod Zzaj

Fletcher Brice Jozwiak – NICK OF TIME: On this stellar trio release, you get to hear Mike Fletcher on Alto sax/Flute, Olie Brice on Bass and Tymoteusz Jozwiak doing Drums in a session you’ll never forget; truly some of the best sax-led jazz you will ever listen to! The bass solo intro to “What Remains Is Still To Come” is pure perfection, and gently melts right into Mike’s sax as the 8:33 piece matures… by the time it reaches 3:00, these cats are already “in the zone”, & will keep you there until they’re ready to let go. It’s the 11:43 title cut, “Nick Of Time“, that gets my vote for personal favorite of the six tunes offered up for your listening pleasure, though… far more than “just another improv session”, this is jazz with a true edge – razor sharp. Loved the crystal-clear recording… all the nuances are captured, & you will revel in them for years to come. I give this trio recording a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.97. Get more information at the SLAM PRODUCTIONS label page for this release. Rotcod Zzaj http://rotcodzzaj.com/?page_id=5953

12/11/2014 Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by British Jazz trio consisting of saxophonist / flautist Mike Fletcher, bassist Olie Brice and Polish (residing in UK) drummer Tymoteusz Jozwiak. The album presents six original pieces, all co-composed by the three trio members.

Jozwiak arrived in UK to study with the legendary British Jazz drummer Tony Levin, now sadly departed, and stayed on. He met Fletcher and Brice in 2013 and they struck an immediate rapport as musical partners, which led to this recording.

The music is a typical Free Jazz / Improvised Music setting, which presents three individual musicians trying to find a common ground and cooperate sonically in order to create an expression, which is a sum of their individual inputs. Judging by the result they definitely both enjoyed this meeting and managed to produce some excellent music together. Although obviously improvised, the music includes enough melodic contents to keep listeners from beyond the strict avant-garde scene receptive to this music. Fletcher´s playing is remarkably mellow and non aggressive and both Brice and Jozwiak engage with the front soloist constantly and yet manage to remain at least partly in the background, which saves the music from becoming cacophonous. Obviously Fletcher draws most of the listener´s attention, but his playing without the support of his two cohorts would have been most probably much less impressive.

Brice builds up a respected position among the Improvised Music community members in the last few years, appearing on several very strong recording dates, like the trio with Polish saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj Trzaska called "Inem Gortn", which should be most interesting to people listening to this album. He is surely a player worth watching in the years to come, following his impressive start-up achievements. Jozwiak is relatively anonymous as of now but, judging by his performances herein, we´ll definitely hear more about him in years to come.

Overall this is an interesting and aesthetically pleasing debut presenting ambitious music, which is definitely worth hearing.

The album was released on the small independent label called Slam Records, which was founded and is operated by British baritone saxophonist George Haslam, and which in the last 25 years released some of the most fascinating avant-garde music recorded on the British Isles.Adam Baruch http://www.adambaruch.com/reviews_item.asp?item=104617

11/09/2014 George W. Harris

The trio of Mike Fletcher/as-fl, Ollie Brice/b and Tymoteusz Jozwiak/dr create six pieces that feel loose and fairly free form. Suplle pieces such as “Dedication” and “Nick of Time” float like drifting feathers while Fletcher’s warm alto opens and closes the former, bookending Brice’s languid bass. A dreary mood floats on”What Remains is Still to Come” while effects on”Interlude” and some frolicking are palpable on “Fall In”. Some subterranean agitation by Jozwiak creates some tension on “From the Off”. Spontaneous without combustion.

01/09/2014 Marcus O’Dair

This disc, recorded in a single afternoon, is the debut recording from a Birmingham-based improvising trio, who first came together last year. The improvisatory spirit of Tony Levin (the late drummer, rather than the extant bassist) looms large, and not only on the opening track that is explicitly dedicated to his memory. Jozwiak, born in Poland, actually moved to the UK to study with Levin; like Fletcher (born in Birmingham) and Londoner Brice, he has played with Levin’s Mujician bandmate Paul Dunmall. Other names on their collective CV, meanwhile, include Ken Vandermark, Ingrid Laubrock, Iain Ballamy, Tony Bianco and Tony Malaby. But to return to the content, rather than the context: Nick of Time is both engaging and enjoyable, the lack of harmony instrument creating an appealing sparsity. Variety, meanwhile, is maintained through collective sensitivity and, more specifically, Fletcher’s occasional use of flute.Marcus O’Dair Jazzwise August 2014.

05/08/2014 Bruce Lee Gallanter

MIKE FLETCHER/OLIE BRICE/TYMOTEUSZ JOZWIAK - Nick Of Time (Slam 295;UK) Featuring Mike Fletcher on alto sax & flute, Olie Brice on bass and Tymoteusz Jozwiak on drums. "Nick of Time", the first release by the Birmingham based improvising trio 'Fletcher/Brice/Jozwiak' was recorded in an afternoon at Highbury Studios in Birmingham, UK. From the opening of the first track, 'Dedication (To Tony Levin)' (inspired by memories of the late, great drummer), the improvisations evolve as a series of spontaneous conversations between the members of the trio. They tread the line between jazz and the avant-garde; music that is simultaneously lyrically inventive and emotionally enriching. Birmingham born Fletcher played lead alto with European Jazz Orchestra: Londoner Brice worked with Paul Dunmall, Ken Vandermark and the Riverloam Trio; Jozwiak moved from Poland to UK to study with Tony Levin. The three came together in 2013, immediately striking the rapport that elevates their music higher and higher. 'Now that I've had a chance to listen to this disc a few times, I have come to appreciate it more. Considering that bassist Olie Brice is the only musician here with whom I was previously familiar, this is a strong, spirited trio nonetheless. Turns out that saxist Mike Fletcher has also worked with Tony Bianco (in Utoma Quartet) and with saxist Tim Garland in Lammas. This trio has a strong, spirited way of playing together and thinking as one unified unit. At times I reminded of the way that Ornette Coleman's original quartet played in the early sixties when Don Cherry would lay out and Ornette would soar together with Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell or Billy Higgins. Mr.Fletcher switches to flute for a couple of pieces which works well with Brice's eerie bowed bass and Jozwiak's minimal percussion during a short interlude. Fletcher takes a fine long story-like flute solo on the next piece as well, the rhythm team animated in their own unique way. 'Nick of Time' is one of the best sax-led trio dates I've heard in recent memory. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG August 2014

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